hara-kiri
Samurai's honorable exit
Hara-kiri is the Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment, traditionally practiced by samurai to preserve honor or avoid capture.
The formal term is seppuku.
In English, hara-kiri often describes any dramatic self-destruction, especially of one's career or reputation: The senator committed political hara-kiri with that speech.
Removal of intestines
- ritual suicideFormalized self-inflicted death
- abdomenTorso's lower cavity
- bladeFlat cutting edge
- wakizashiJapanese auxiliary blade
incision · death · fatal · self-inflicted · gut · stomach · evisceration · wound
Samurai honor system
- warriorOne skilled in combat
- katanaCurved Japanese fighting blade
- honor codeConduct standards for students
- feudalOf tiered landownership
shogun · daimyo · ronin · clan · shogunate · loyalty · duty · fealty
Painful awareness of failure
- disgraceLoss of honor
- atonementCompensation for wrongdoing
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
- dignityInnate personal worth
face · reputation · duty · loyalty · failure · defeat · capture · dishonor
Formal event marking occasions
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
- solemnitySerious, dignified quality
- formalityStrict observance of convention
preparation · witness · official · prescribed · deliberate · sanctioned · custom · observance
disembowelment
Removal of intestines
- ritual suicideFormalized self-inflicted death
- abdomenTorso's lower cavity
- bladeFlat cutting edge
wakizashi · incision · death · fatal · self-inflicted · gut · stomach · evisceration · wound · blood
bushido
Samurai honor system
- warriorOne skilled in combat
- katanaCurved Japanese fighting blade
- honor codeConduct standards for students
feudal · shogun · daimyo · ronin · clan · shogunate · loyalty · duty · fealty · retainer
shame
Painful awareness of failure
- disgraceLoss of honor
- atonementCompensation for wrongdoing
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
dignity · face · reputation · duty · loyalty · failure · defeat · capture · dishonor · integrity
ceremony
Formal event marking occasions
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
- solemnitySerious, dignified quality
formality · preparation · witness · official · prescribed · deliberate · sanctioned · custom · observance · procedure
hara-kiriexecution
Completing a planned task
murder · assassination · capital punishment · judicial execution · homicide
hara-kirisurvival
Remaining alive against odds
self-preservation · staying alive · will to live · endurance · perseverance